Overhead wire transport system



W. L. BARTON. OVERHEAD WIRE TRANSPORT SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1921.

W. L. BARTON. OVERHEAD WIRE TRANSPORT SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, I921. 1.422.650. Patented y 11,1922;

2 SHEETSSHEET 2..

2 unu 21 I William L.Bari0n WILLIAML. BARTON, 0F VANCGUVE-R, BRITISH? COLUMBIA, CANADA; ASSIGNOR- :01? FORTY-FIVE PER GENT TO JOHN L. OF "VAN'GOUVER, BRITISH"COLUMBIA,

CANADA.

OVERHEAD WIRE TRANSPORT SYSTEM.

1,422,6502. Specification 0f Lettfirs n Patented July 11, 19122.

'7 Application fi1ed.September 24, 1921 Serial No. 502,862.

To all whom it may concern: V I

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. BARTON, citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Vancouver, Province of British Columbia, Canada,. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Qverhead Wire Transport Systems, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a system of overhead wire rope transportation wherein the load bearing carriage is endwise movable on two track ropes and the load is elevatedto and from the carriage by the rope by which the carriage is drawn along the track, and is secured at any desired position of elevation by endwise-movement of the track ropes.

The invention comprises the system of such suspension and the means for endwise moving the track ropes to effect this. look and release of the load suspension, and. for simultaneously moving-both ropesin the same direction, whereby the carriagemay be lowered for examination and attention and raised thereafter to its normal running elevation. r e

The invention is particularlydescribed in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Fig. 1 is a general elevation of the track and the operative means used in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail to an enlarged scale of the track rope operating mechanism.

Fig, 1, a plan of the same.

Fig. 5 is a section of the gear box containing the first and second motion gears, showing the means by which the gears are changed, and

Fig. 6 is an outline drawing showing a means of applying the brakes while changing gears. f-

In these drawings 2, repr'esentsthe donkey engine bywhich the carriage, 3 is drawn in both directions on the wire rope tracklines 4 and 5, which lines are. stretched'between spar poles 6 and 7 located at the inner and outer ends of the track. line. s

The carriage 3 is drawn outward by an out-haul line 9 from a reel 11 onan ordinary donkey engine, which line passes over sheaves at the outer end of the trackandis connected to the carriage. It isfdrawn in' ward by a hauling line 10 from an independently'movable'reel 8 on the donkey engine, which line passes over a sheave 12- on the outer end of the carriage, around a sheave 14 of the load bearing block and is anchored at 13to'the carriage.

By thisme'ans th'eload is elevated to the carriage and the rope 10 secured thereto to sustain the load at any desired position of elevation, and is released from the carriage to. lower'th'e load, as fully described in an application-filedby me on the 5th'August, 1921 under Serial No. 490,128, and is now waiting consideration of the Ofiice.

As described in that application the track lines 4, 5 are one rope or are soronnected as to be movable together and is carried by the sheaves 15 and 16 of the spar poles 6 and 7., The, operation of clamping the hauling ro'pe' 1O to'the carriage and the releasing it therefromis accomplished byendwise movementin relation to one another of the parts 4 ande'offthis rope.

One end of the'trackfrope l, 5 is secured to a reel of a' hauling mechanism to be described, and the other end after being doubled around the sheave 16 on the outer spar pole 7, is connected to the opposite side of a .reel 18 rotatable with 17 in either the same or in opposite directions. Being wound from opposite sides of the reels 1'7 and 18, if the reels are rotated in the same direction, "the'rope willbe wound on the one and correspondingly unwound off the other, giving. the desired endwise movement of the track rope 4:, 5.

lniaddition to having facility for rotating the reels to wind andunwind the ropes 4 and 5 simultaneously to move them in opposite directionsthe mechanism is such that theymay be simultaneously'rotated to move the ropes in thesame direction to lower and raise'the track ropes. to and from the groundwith the carriage "suspended, on them.

The'meehanism which these results are accomplished is 'as follows: The reels 17 and-18 are carried in a frame which is adjacent and maybe secured to the frame of the donkey engine 2. 2O represents asteam engine derivingits supply of steamfrom' the donkey engine '2, which supply is controlled by a throttlevalve 21, and the direction of rotation of the crank shaft 22 is'reversible by ineans of alink motion. 23. The throttle lever and link motion are co-operative, the throttle lever being connected by a rod 24 to a bell crank lever which raises and lowers the reversing links. The throttle valve having two open positions, one on each side of the central closed position, in reversing, the steam is cut off while the engine is being reversed and then opened as reversal is attained.

The crank shaft 22 drives the first motion shaft 25 by means of arsprocket chain 26. On this first motion shaft .25 a gear wheel 27 is mounted on a feather key, the teeth of which wheel mesh with those of a wheel 28 secured on a shaft'29 parallel to 25, and through a gear wheel 30 secured on a shaft 31 on the opposite side.

The wheel 30 is twice the width of the wheel 27 and the wheel 27 is susceptible 'of endwise movement on its shaft 25 to take it out of mesh with the wheel 28 while retaining mesh with the Wheel 30. Secured on the same shaft 29 as the wheel 28 is a similar gear wheel 32, and below the shaft 25 is a parallel shaft 33 on which is secured a wheel 34, the teeth of which mesh with thoseof the wheel 32 and the wheel 27.

18 by a train of Movement of the shafts 29 and 31 are respectively communicated to the reels 17 and gears 35, 36, 37, 38 to the reel 17 and 40, 41, 42, 43 to the reel 18.

Through this mechanism assuming the wheel 27 to be in mesh with 28 and 30, the reels 17 and 18 will be rotated in the same direction, and that direction of rotation may be reversed by reversing the engine. The endsof the track lines 4 and 5 being wound in opposite directions on the reels 17 and 18, when the reels are rotated in the same direction the rope will be unwound ofi one reel and wound on the other and the two parallel lines 4 and 5 of the track rope will move endwise in opposite directions'and will operate the mechanism for securing the load. atany desired position of elevation from the carriage which securingmeans is released by reversing the engine20 and conse uently the movement of the track ropes 4 and .5. I

When it is desired to lower or raise. the tracklines 4 and 5 to or from the ground,

, the ropes 4 and 5. are paid out simultaneously from the drums 17 and 18 by endwise moving the wheel 27 on its feathered shaft 25, wherebydriving connection of 27 with 30 is maintained but the shaft 29 is rotated in an opposite direction, being driven through the intermediate gear 34 meshing with 27 and with the wheel 32 on the shaft 29. The reels 17 and 18- are thus rotated in opposite directions and the track lines 4, and

1 5.be1ng wound on these reels from opposite sides, the line is paid out from both reels at once, thus lowering the track lines 4 and 5 to bring the carriage to the ground level for examination and may be Simultaneously wound on both to elevate and tighten the track ropes.

Endwise movement of the wheel 27 on its feathered shaft 25 is preferably obtained by a lever 35 pivoted at 36 to the frame and having studs at 37 engaging a groove formed in the hub of the wheel 27, the free end of which lever 35 is slotted to engage studs 38 projecting from diametrically opposite sides of a nut 39 movable on ascrew 40 provided with a hand wheel 41.

On the ends of the shafts 29 and 31 are secured brake wheels 42 with the necessary brake straps which may be used to relieve the strain of the gears 28, 30 and 32 of the overhead track ropes when changing gears.

The distinctive features'of this system are that the load bearing carriage runs on'two parallel lines of track rope instead of on one only, and that these track lines are disposed side by side: Also that these track lines are not anchored at the ends, but the loop of the rope passes around a sheave at the further end of the track, and the ends are connected to and wound on separate reels of a hauling engine, with provision whereby the two ropes may be simultaneously paid out or drawn in, whereby the track ropes may be lowered together to the ground and raised together therefrom.

reels whereby either rope vmay be paid out from its reel while the other is drawn in, whereby the two parallel lines of'the track rope may be endwise moved in relation to one another. This endwise movement of the track ropes is used for several purposes: It enables a mechanism to be operated on the track line carriage for clamping to the carriage its hauling and load lifting line and for releasingthe same (which mechanism is the subject of a pending application). It also enables a mechanism (the subject of a separate application) to be operated on the sheave which supports the outer end of the track rope, by which that end sheave may be traversed laterally to either side and thus enables a wide area of land tobe worked over.

These features are consideredto be novel, substantial and important improvements in overhead transportation systems when appliedtologging, and may alsobe applicable to other purposes.

Having now particularly described my invention, I hereby declarezthat what I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is: I 1. A11 overhead transportation system wherein the transporting carriage runs on two parallel lines of track rope with provision for running the track lines in opposite directions in relationto one another.

2. An overhead transportation system wherein the transporting carriage runs on two parallel lines of track rope disposed side by side and provision for endwise running the track lines in opposite directions in relation to one another.

3. An overhead transportation system wherein a loop of the track rope passes around a sheave at the outer end of the track and the ends are wound on separate reels of a hauling mechanism, which mechanism has provision by which the line may be wound or unwound simultaneously on or off both reels.

4:. An overhead transportation system wherein a loop of the track rope passes around a sheave at the outer end of the track and the ends are wound on separate reels of a hauling mechanism, which mechanism has provision by which the line may be wound or unwound simultaneously on or off both reels or may be simultaneously wound off one reel and wound on the other.

5. A transportation system wherein the opposite ends of the track rope are coiled on separate reels of a hauling mechanism located adjacent one end of the track and therefrom the ropes run parallel with one another to the other end of the track, an

'anchored sheave in the loop at the further end of the track, means for rotating the track rope reels to simultaneously pay out the line from one reel and wind it on the other reel, and means for reversing the direction of rotation of the reels.

6. An overhead transportation system wherein the opposite ends of the track rope are coiled on separate reels of a hauling mechanism located adjacent one end of the track line, and therefrom the ropes run parallel with one another to the other or outer end of the same, an anchored she-ave in the loop of the line at the other end of the track, means for rotating the track rope reels to simultaneously draw in the track rope equally on each, and means for rotating the reels to pay out simultaneously from one reel and wind in on the other, and means for reversing the direction of rotation of the reels.

7. A transportation system wherein the opposite ends of the track rope are coiled on separate reels of a hauling mechanism located adjacent one end of the track, an anchored sheave in the 100p of the track rope at the other end of the track, an engine rotating the reels through suitable mechanism to simultaneously haul in the rope on both reels, means for rotating one reel to pay out the rope while the other reel is winding it in, and means for reversing the rotation of the engine shaft to reverse the direction of rotation of the reels in either case.

8. A transportation system wherein the opposite ends of the track rope are coiled on separate reels of a hauling mechanism located adjacent one end of the track, an anchored sheave in the loop of the track rope at the other end of the track, a steam engine rotating the reels of the hauling mechanism, means for reversing the direction of rotation of the engine shaft, means for controlling the admission of steam to the engine, and means co-operative with the reversing means of the engine whereby the steam is cut off from the engine while it is being reversed and is re-admitted when reversal is effected.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM L. BARTON. 

